City Council Moves Forward with Outsourcing: Gulfport Residents Share Concerns, Questions and Opinions

There could soon be a time that when residents of Gulfport call the police, they may be calling Largo.

In a 3-2 vote, the Gulfport City Council decided Thursday evening to continue a controversial plan to outsource city functions such as police dispatching and mowing. Police dispatchers at the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office in Largo could soon handle non-emergency Gulfport police calls.

The agenda of the Special First Reading and Public Hearing focused on utility rate increases in an attempt to close Gulfport's budget shortfall. It will be the first rate increase across the board since 2005.

However, for the nearly 100 residents who turned out at city hall, outsourcing of police dispatchers was the main event.

Some residents believe contracting services is a good way help cut city costs. Several of the council members, as well as City Manager James O'Reilly, agree with the plan. They claim services will not be affected, and will save money.  

The City of Gulfport estimates the move in police dispatching will save over $147,000 in fiscal year 2012 and $305,000 in fiscal year 2013. The savings is less in the first year due to the cost of conversion.

Either way, it will help ease the city's nearly $622,400 budgetary deficit.

"You just can't keep putting this off," said resident Margarete Tober. She sees the move as fine for Gulfport.

"This is a situation that has been passed on from other councils," Tober said. "It is the hardest decision they have to make."

Frank Wheelehan sees it as the beginning of the end of the Gulfport Police.

The 17-year Gulfport Communications Officer presented a petition to the council, titled "Save Our Dispatch & Parks Department." More than 600 people signed it. Wheelehan is convinced that outsourcing dispatchers will only lead to dismantling the entire Gulfport Police Department.

"Within three years," Wheelehan said. "This will be the first part to do away with the complete department. I firmly believe this."

"The people obviously don't want this," he added.

Don Black, a resident of Town Shores, was the first member of the audience to address the council. He set the tone for the debate.

"I lived in Gulfport for 21 years. I do understand if it were me, I am going to sit down and figure out my budget," Black said. "I don't think we should ever consider outsourcing the police department or the dispatchers."

"That's the first step is to get rid of the dispatchers," Black continued. "If we are going to go to outsourcing, we could outsource all of you and we could be annexed to St. Petersburg."

Black's comment was met with applause. "I don’t believe in that, I love Gulfport. We have a great thing going for us."

Sue Lewis asked about the dispatch costs. O'Reilly responded with an annual amount of $390,236. That is approximately 80 cents for every $1000 of home value in Gulfport.

"Time to put your money where your mouth is," Lewis said, turning to the audience. "How many people are willing to put another 0.8 mil into our budget?"

About a third of the spectators raised their hands.

One of the conditions of any contract will be that the PSCO hire the four current Gulfport police dispatchers. That must be "in print," according to Councilmember Jennifer Salmon.

"We are not going to lose jobs," Salmon said. She prefers to call it "contracting" instead of outsourcing.

"It is long term savings," she added.

Maintenance of city parks would go to an outside firm, yet to be determined.  

After nearly two hours of public discussion, the council cast their vote. Both Mayor Mike Yakes and Councilmember Sam Henderson voted against the plan.

The Gulfport city charter requires balanced city finances, so the proposed 2012 budget will also include fee hikes for city services as well as a property tax increase. Residents will soon have to pay ten percent more for water and sewer costs. Garbage and recycling will cost an additional 12.5 percent.

Mayor Mike Yakes proposed raising water and sewer rates from ten to 12 percent with the 4.0 millage rate, saying that it would be enough to keep dispatch and the parks department as they are. Only Councilmember Sam Henderson agrees with the idea.

Henderson also believes the budget can still be balanced by additional increases in utility rates, without losing Gulfport city jobs. Henderson asked the council to consider an additional two percent to water and sewer and only raise the millage to 3.9, not the proposed 4.0.

"We can keep a slightly lower millage rate than we proposed," Henderson said. "We can keep dispatch and we can keep parks."

Vice Mayor David Hastings says that property tax increases are necessary to balance the budget, and may only be the beginning. Higher tax rates next year would help offset lost revenue from declining home prices.

"The new property tax rates are what we are at this year and I think next year we are going to be worse," Hastings said.

"I will be coming back… the others on the council will be coming back with a lot more," Hastings added. "It depends on the economy, and the economy doesn't look good."

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To view the budget that was passed Thursday night, check out the meeting's agenda packet. The budget is Ordinance 2011-16.

The next step for Gulfport's 2012 budget is a second Special Budget meeting, which will be on Wednesday, September 21 at City Hall. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. Gulfport City Hall is located at 2401 53rd Street South.